In the night from Saturday to Sunday the clock is turned again. The time change is a vexing issue for many EU citizens. Why nothing changes anyway.
At the weekend we gain an hour: On the night of Saturday, October 26th, to Sunday, October 27th, the time will be reset – from 3 a.m. to 2 a.m. After that, winter time will apply until March 30, 2025. Many people in Germany and other EU countries are tired of the time change and want it to be abolished.
End time change? This is the current status
An online survey by the EU Commission in the summer of 2018 showed that 84 percent of European citizens are against changing the clock regularly. In Germany, almost 3.8 percent of the population took part in the survey, which is the highest participation rate in Europe.
Respondents were particularly critical of the time change due to negative consequences for health, increasing traffic accidents and only limited energy savings. Following the survey, the EU Commission proposed to the European Parliament in September 2018 to end the time change.
It was then concluded that the Member States would best decide for themselves whether they wanted to maintain summer time or standard time (“winter time”), the Commission said. However, the Commission wants to avoid individual EU states going it alone and creating different time zones within Europe.
In March 2019, Parliament announced that it would support the proposal. “Since then, the ball has been in the Member States’ court; they have to find a common position in the Council.” He remains there to this day.
Europe-wide regulation is difficult
So far, the countries have not been able to agree on a uniform time. Finding a solution that everyone is happy with is harder than expected. The main reason for this is the different geographical locations of the member states. This particularly affects countries in western and eastern Europe. As Bavarian Radio explains as an example, with permanent summer time in winter, Amsterdam and Madrid would only see the light in the morning.
Forward or back? With these mnemonics about the time change you’ll know
01:20 min
However, if the EU countries agreed on winter or standard time, the sun in Warsaw and Stockholm would rise in the middle of the night in summer. In Germany too, the bright evenings would then be significantly shorter.
No end in sight
Germany introduced the time change in the summer of 1980. Since 1996, Europeans have changed their clocks twice a year. It is hoped that summer time will save energy and make better use of the time of day.
The fact that next Sunday will be an hour longer due to the time change shouldn’t bother most people. However, the change to summer time in spring and to standard time in autumn is generally unpopular. However, there is no Europe-wide regulation in sight. And that’s unlikely to change any time soon.
Sources: , , AFP
Source: Stern
I’m Caroline, a journalist and author for 24 Hours Worlds. I specialize in health-related news and stories, bringing real-world impact to readers across the globe. With my experience in journalism and writing in both print and online formats, I strive to provide reliable information that resonates with audiences from all walks of life.
